In late July 2016, O’Flynn fell off a ladder at work and felt an extreme pain radiating from his feet, so he went to the emergency room. He was treated for the pain and found out there was a new foot and ankle specialist starting at Georgia Bone & Joint just a few days later, so he made an appointment with Dr. David Heinsch.

On his first day in practice, Dr. Heinsch, a Georgia native, examined O’Flynn’s feet and determined he had broken both of his heel bones—a severe and often life-altering injury. Dr. Heinsch carefully treated both fractures, performing an open reduction internal fixation procedure on the right heel and nonsurgical treatment on left heel. Just three months later, O’Flynn was able to put some weight on his feet, and by mid-December, he was able to walk without assistance and ease his way back into work.

“After years in the U.S. Army, I found that the career I have always loved most was the service industry. Serving and bartending is what I’m passionate about, it brings me joy, and it is my livelihood. To think that one slip off a ladder could take all of that away was a very scary feeling,” said O’Flynn. “I am so grateful that in this process, I found Dr. Heinsch. I always left his office feeling encouraged. He was so professional and worked very hard to get me back to the life and career I love, and it didn’t stop with him. Everyone in his office went to great lengths to make my entire experience as positive as it could be. Thank you, Georgia Bone & Joint, and thank you, Dr. Heinsch.”